New space qualified Li-ion cell targets LEO satellite missions
The cell features the same nickel-based oxide Li-ion chemistry that has been demonstrated to deliver an extended service life on Saft’s extensively spaceflight proven VES140 cells that are already operating on a number of successful satellite missions.
The VES16 cell has a nominal capacity of 4.5 Ah with a specific energy higher than 155 Wh/kg. The cell is designed to provide the building blocks for the creation of onboard battery modules to cover a large range of satellite power requirements. During the proving tests, the new cell has completed 15,000 LEO cycles to date – the tests are still continuing. It has also demonstrated the capability to support 22 GEO seasons with minimal fading (a loss of less than one percent).
VES cells are manufactured in Saft’s facility in Bordeaux, France and are assembled into battery modules in Saft’s facility in Poitiers. The VES16 cells will be commercially available by the end of 2011.
Saft battery modules work in conjunction with a LEO satellite’s solar array to provide the electrical power for its onboard electronics. When the solar array is fully exposed to the sun it will provide the satellite’s power as well as charging the batteries. When the solar array is ‘eclipsed’ by the earth, with no direct sunlight, the batteries will power the satellite. LEO satellites have a typical period of around 90 minutes, so this charge and discharge cycle is repeated 14 times a day throughout the mission’s design life.
Visit Saft at www.saftbatteries.com.
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